


Poofed

by futuresteven (orphan_account)



Series: unity [8]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, in which his gem is poofed, no ships, some mentions of death but none too graphic, steven is a fusion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:48:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23514934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/futuresteven
Summary: In order for a fusion to be balanced, both halves need to be there. What does Steven do when his own gem is somehow poofed?
Relationships: Crystal Gems & Steven Universe, Pink Steven Universe & Steven Universe, no ships - Relationship
Series: unity [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1671916
Comments: 12
Kudos: 149





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How could this happen?

“I don’t understand what’s happening…”

Steven was laying down on the sofa. The Crystal Gems surrounded him, concerned expressions on all of their faces. Even Garnet, who was good at seeming stoic most of the time, seemed worried about the hybrid.

Another wave of pain shot through Steven and he let out a pained groan. Nausea seemed to accompany the stings that were torturing the boy. His head was pounding and his heartbeat had never been so loud before. Tears fell out of his eyes without permission, which blurred his vision quite a bit. Hearing had become difficult due to the headache that he was suffering from.

No one knew what was happening. That was probably the worst part of it. It had started off simple with just dizziness and hyperventilating, but it quickly grew into something far worse. This pain was definitely the worst that Steven had _ever_ experienced. He had been fatigued a few days beforehand, but it never seemed too serious in his opinion. His gem would help him heal, right?

The thought made Steven freeze. He cringed as another painful sensation came across him, but he knew now that this feeling was all too familiar to him. Coming close to dying was something he had become good at throughout the years, but the first time it had ever been serious was when White Diamond forced his gem out of his body.

Slowly, he reached down to his shirt. His arms trembled and he panted. This _had_ to be why Yin had been so silent these last few days. Not once did he hesitate to lift his shirt up and grasp for his gem, expecting nothing to be there. Someone must have pulled his gem out at some point.

However, these thoughts came to a halt when he felt it. He felt his gem, still planted into his navel. Not even a single crack could be felt. A frown came over his features. If his gem was still there, then why was he _dying_? This was just like when White forced them to unfuse!

“Steven?” He heard Pearl now and looked up at her the most he could. The gem glanced at his gem that he was clutching onto before she looked him in the eyes again, “Why is your gem so… _dull_? Did something happen?”

His brows furrowed at these words. Puzzlement came over him, although it was quickly replaced by another painful shiver. Panting, he tightened his grip on his gem and frowned, “Dull? What do you mean?”

“Your gem isn’t as bright as usual,” Amethyst observed, stepping forward and examining the gem. She looked just as confused as the rest did. Anyone could tell just how worried she was based on the tone of her voice and the expression on her face.

Garnet looked over her shoulder and took off her visor. Only seconds passed before she looked surprised, leaning back and staring Steven in the eyes. “Your gem isn’t as bright as usual,” She repeated. Steven noticed the Crystal Gems all exchange glances amongst each other.

“What does that mean?” puzzled the hybrid, ignoring the pain he felt as he sat up on the sofa. Internally, Yang _pleaded_ for Yin to do something, whether it be to speak or just send them a sign that he was still there. There within their shared body, safe and sound. His gem half remained silent regardless of the desperation in the human half’s voice.

“Well…” Pearl hesitated to continue. She took a deep breath before continuing, “Sometimes when a gem poofs, their gems can get dull because all of their powers are being used on recovering their physical form. I don’t understand how this would work for you, though…” Her voice trailed off.

Steven took a while to let the words sink in. However, once they hit him he shot up, surprised, “Yin is… **_poofed?!”_** How could that happen? The realization made him realize that, for stars know how long, he hadn’t been Steven. He’d just been Yang with Yin attached to his body.

 _“What ?”_ blurted Amethyst, clearly just as perplexed as Yang was. She looked down at Yin’s gem once again before turning back to look at Pearl, “That doesn’t make any sense, P! How would he be poofed if he hasn’t been hurt at all? He hasn’t...”

“It’s very likely that he _has_ been hurt,” Garnet interjected, putting a hand on the poofed gem. She was surprised that Yang even _let_ her, but she continued with, “His gem has been out for sixteen years straight. He’s only been poofed once, when White Diamond took him out of his main form. It’s incredibly likely that his gem was unable to hold his physical form for too long, therefore causing him to poof.”

Amethyst frowned at the words, “But, Yin and Yang unfuse _all_ the time! That makes no sense!” She threw her hands up, frustrated. Yang remained silent, finally having the strength to push Garnet’s hand away from his gem. 

Garnet crossed her arms, “When they unfuse, Yin is _never_ poofed. It’s like when Ruby and Sapphire are unfused. Instead of being poofed, they just split apart and become two separate beings supported by their own separate gems.”

Yang shivered again and grasped onto his gem. Yin _had_ to be there. He _had_ to hear him. Tears fell from his eyes when he began to find breathing to be difficult. Pearl seemed to realize this. She nudged the others out of the way and picked the human up.

“He needs to go to Rose’s Fountain.” Her words were rushed. She was fast to step onto the Warp Pad, followed by the others. Soon enough, they were at Rose’s Fountain. Pearl was quick to put Yang down into the fountain, “Yang, do you know how long he’ll be poofed for?”

As soon as he touched the water, a feeling of relief washed over him. The pain subsided and he felt much better… physically, at least. Emotionally, it all still felt so _wrong_. How could his gem half have been poofed? Had he done something wrong? He remained silent, placing a hand on his gem and biting his lip nervously. Why was he hurt?

Garnet put a hand on his shoulder reassuringly when tears started to fall out of his eyes. Everyone fell into a somber silence, not knowing what to say or what to do. They had all thought that Yin wouldn’t be able to poof. Never once did they ever emotionally prepare for such an event.

“I’m sure he’s going to reform soon,” Amethyst reassured, “Yi goes crazy whenever he’s not around you and always tries to find you. He probably hasn’t been poofed for too long. Don’t worry, Ya.”

“I just…” Yang choked on a sob before continuing, “Why was he poofed? What did we do wrong that got him hurt? Why are we still… in Steven’s form? Are we fused, even though he’s not even _here_?”

No one was sure how to answer. Questions filled Yang’s head and he felt like he was getting a headache, even though he was in a fountain full of healing water. Everything felt so different. For the first time in forever, he was truly alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo, chapters!


	2. Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How it all turned out.

At first, they expected Yin to reform in a day or two. Days passed and they realized that the gem really _was_ going to take longer than expected. Yang hadn’t accepted it at first, but as time passed he was slowly forced to. 

The outfit Steven wore now, the specialized one that had Yin’s unique twist to it, slowly was beginning to fade away into his normal outfit. His eyebrows went back to their original coloring, although bits of pink remained in his curls. His eyes were both dark now, but the eye that had the diamond shaped pupil still had some pink in it.

Days had turned into weeks. It had officially been three full weeks since Yin had somehow poofed. Three weeks since Yang was forced into being alone. Even if his friends were there with him, they weren’t Yin. As long as his gem wasn’t there, he was lonely.

His health was rapidly declining as well. It took a few days, but he finally convinced Pearl to let him go home. However, the bathtub was _filled_ with water from the fountain. This has proven to be a smart thing to do, seeing as how Yang’s organs were technically still failing. It wasn’t too uncommon for him to end up in the tub after doing something Steven could easily do, such as run or jump.

Currently, he was at a barbecue the entirety of Beach City and Little Homeworld were at. Gems and humans communicated as if they had known each other for years. This would make Steven feel a rush of pride at how much he had been able to accomplish, but Yang wasn’t Steven. He was only half of him. Seeing gems and humans communicating so well reminded him of how he himself was able to communicate so well with _his_ gem.

Not a minute passed where he didn’t think about his gem. He felt a wistful longing for the days when Yin and him would talk for hours. He wanted to hear the other’s voice again and wished the gem would hold him close. While most people were used to only having a single presence in their body, he was used to having _two_. He went from feeling someone there with him to feeling nothing at all.

Everyone was on the beach having a good time. Some people were talking amongst each other and cooking while others were dancing and having fun. Although Steven knew everyone here, Yang didn’t. He was in no mood to try to make new friends, although he usually was extroverted and loud. Things just weren’t the same now.

Yang was sitting further back, intending to be alone. Ignoring the yelling and loud music, he was instead focused on the last thing he _did_ have left from Yin. His gem was still planted into his navel, although it really _was_ dull. The human treated his gem just like he treated any other poofed gem, he was always gentle and tried to make it as comfortable as possible.

He rested his hand on top of the gem. It was his only way of letting Yin know that he was still there, that he was okay and waiting for him to return. Doing so was the closest way he could possibly hug his other half, even if he never felt anything in return. 

The sky above was overcast. People would occasionally point out how it looked like it could rain at any minute, but no one truly seemed to care. If they did, this barbecue would have been postponed until further notice. 

Along with the others, Yang couldn’t care less. He had headphones on and was listening to some music Steven had saved onto his phone. Some songs were definitely preferred by Yang, although others definitely screamed “Yin liked this song!” The two’s different interests ended up in Steven’s playlist being a huge mix. Still, the human refused to skip any songs.

Occasionally his phone would go off, although he rarely responded to messages. This was Steven’s phone, not Yang’s. Even if he was half of Steven, he _wasn’t_ him. He only answered texts that were directed towards him and only him. That’s all he had now, anyways.

Music was something that helped him feel less alone. He was so used to having his gem speak in his mind that he felt uncomfortable having it be so silent. Dr. G had recommended that he listened to music. It helped quite a bit, surprisingly. It helped him whenever everything felt so wrong to the point that his anxiety got in the way. 

Watching others having fun slowly soured his mood, though. Yang had discovered a new feeling he never felt before just a few days ago. Amethyst had called it jealousy. The word was fitting for how he felt at that very moment. Watching everyone else talk to each other when he was alone just wasn’t fair to him. He shot a glare at the crowd before getting up and walking off.

Hastily, he walked home and got in his car. He turned on the radio before driving off. Yang didn’t know _where_ he was going, he was just following where his heart wanted him to go. Surely the gems wouldn’t mind if he returned that night safe and sound. _Even though no one was really there to protect him._

Eventually, he came across a pond. The human got out of his car, locked it, and went to the edge of it. It was clear, even in the dark. The moon and stars reflected in the water and the entire area had an aura that was calming to him. Satisfied, he took a seat.

It definitely wasn’t the most silent here. He heard nature all around him. However, the noises calmed him even more. When a frog hopped out of the pond and took a seat on the leaf next to him, Yang smiled at it. The frog simply stared at him, almost as if it was calling him out for faking happiness. The human sighed, turning his gaze from his new friend to the stars above.

“I don’t know, Froggie… maybe I _am_ just a fraud. I can’t believe that Steven ever thought he was. It was me all along. I was the one who faked happiness and pretended to be fine… it just reflected onto Steven.”

His tone was somber. The frog simply croaked in response, but it didn’t leave. It sat there, patiently waiting for Yang to continue. The human just then realized the tears falling from his eyes.

“This doesn’t make _sense_ . What happened to make Yin just… poof? Are we unfusing too much, maybe? Or did he somehow get some weird gem sickness? ...Can gems even _get_ sick?” He paused at the thought before quickly hugging himself, “Or maybe it’s just because I’ve been so emotional lately he couldn’t take it.”

Another croak came from the frog. Maybe it was trying to reassure him? The human couldn’t tell. He doubted the poor creature even understood what he was talking about. He turned his attention to the water in front of him and stared into his reflection.

“I don’t know how much longer I can physically _take_ being seperated like this. It isn’t fair, he isn’t here yet he’s still… _connected_ to me! Oh stars, what if he can still feel my feelings?” He watched as his tears fell into the pond, “ _Great._ Now I can worry him even when he’s poofed. No wonder he wants to stay away from me, all I ever do is _worry_ him.”

This time, the frog didn’t only croak once. It croaked _twice._ At first the human wouldn’t care, but he was quickly startled when a new wave of emotions hit him. He felt both calm right then and there yet he also felt so _numb_. He looked back at his reflection and nearly jumped up when he saw his gem glowing.

 _Comfort,_ a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time, washed over him. He let out a gasp when his gem left it’s normal place in his navel. It floated upwards, glowing brighter by the second. First it formed into a form he had come to learn more about over the years, though it then formed into the familiar form of his mother. After that came an even more familiar form, followed by yet another then another.

Tears streamed out of his eyes when the glow began to fade away. Yin slowly floated down and elegantly landed. Yang let out a gasp. Even if he was seeing the other from behind, he knew that was his gem. He was still wearing the outfit that the pebbles had given him. The still-slightly glowing form in front of him was quick to glance around.

After weeks, the two made eye contact again. A surge of happiness and love came through Yang and he jumped up. The two of them ran towards each other, only stopping when they had reached a halfway point. Instantly, they tightly hugged each other. No words were said at first. Tears fell from both of them now, relief washing over them. Finally, they were together again.

“Yin…” Yang whispered, pressing himself closer to the other. He wasn’t able to say anything more. Another wave of mixed emotions hit him and he choked on a sob. Yin tightened his embrace around him.

“I’m here,” was all he had to say for Yang to begin to feel better. The gem cupped his cheek and wiped away his tears with his thumb, a small smile on his face, “I’m not going to leave again.”

After a few more minutes just like that, the human smiled. This smile was quickly replaced with a concerned expression, “What happened…? Why were you poofed in the first place?”

“Let’s see if you need any healing,” Yin replied, ignoring his question. Yang frowned as he was gently pushed onto the ground. His gem looked over him, occasionally pressing gentle kisses onto any cut, scratch, or bruise he found. Healing magic helped soothe the human a little bit, but when the gem leaned back he decided to stay stubborn.

“Yin,” Yang’s tone was more serious this time around. This made Yin stare at him with a confused expression. He was clearly surprised that it was even possible for Yang to be serious, “Why were you poofed?”

The gem fell silent, clearly hesitating. Yang scooted over in order to be closer to his other half, a worried expression coming over his features. Yin hastily held the other close, “My physical form was just unstable is all. I tried to stay strong through it and just get over it but clearly, that plan failed. Never once did I expect to actually poof. I… don’t want to talk much about it like this.”

“Like this?” Confusion shone through Yang’s repeat of the word. Yin nodded at him, eyes desperate. It took a second for the human to understand what he meant, but the second he did he lit up and nodded excitedly. He rested a hand on Yin’s gem, a smile etched into his face.

Yin seemed relieved by the reaction he got. Slowly, he stood up and held a hand out towards Yang, who quickly grabbed it. The gem pulled the human up and closer to him. They started to dance then, a rather simple dance that the two had made up years ago.

Both of them giggled when Yin dipped Yang. They stared into each other’s eyes, knowing they were about to satisfy what they had yearned for after so long. A smile came across their features and Yin leaned down, resting his forehead against Yang’s. Laughter filled the air as a bright light slowly began to glow around the two of them.

Moments later, two seperate laughs blurred into one. Steven stood there, hugging himself and loudly laughing. Tears of relief fell from his eyes as he looked down, making sure all was normal. His new outfit with Yin’s twist to it was finally not so dull. Looking into the pond confirmed that his diamond eye was back. Bits of pink were in his hair, although both of his eyebrows continued to both be brown.

The most important part of it all was the laughter he heard in his head. His gem was bright and remained lit up, the complete opposite of dull. The frog croaked to him and he smiled at it, only to realize that there were now _two_ frogs standing there. Steven thanked the frogs before running back to his car. Had he always been this fast?

On the drive back to Beach City, he didn’t need to blast his music. He wasn’t alone anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
